At the end of Bible Study, we close in prayer after we share our prayer requests. All too often, things get heavy and we are reminded of the gunk that fills our lives. There are some seriously strong women in that group who are faced with some really big stuff. Let's face it, life is hard and there are some not so fun things we have to deal with simply as a result of living in a fallen world. There are women in that group that I applaud and recognize for not giving up and for being strong in the midst of their situations. Through the muck and mire and in the depth of the pit, there is good news! Not only do we have the opportunity to share and be a part of a community of believers without facing persecution, we have a mighty God who can do amazing, miraculous things! After sharing some heavy concerns, I was grateful that Tracy pointed this out. We do not have to go through hard stuff alone. We do not have to carry the burdens by ourselves. I am grateful for being part of such a great group of women and for the loving support they collectively give to one another. On Thursday, this blessing became very obvious to me. I was blessed by four woman at the end of Bible Study. One woman made herself vulnerable by sharing the struggles she was facing; she was crying out for help. Four women, myself included, sat and listened to her for nearly an hour after Bible Study. You may be asking, "How did this bless you?" I'll tell you. I was blessed because I recognized how hard it was for this woman to open up and share the struggles she was facing. She was asking for help and support. But it doesn't end there. The other women sat there with her, fully engaged in listening.
Have you ever felt alone in a crowded room? I know I have. We all want to be heard, but how many of us have someone to actually listen? The better question I had to ask myself was how often to I really stop and listen to someone else? How often do I actually stop what I am doing and put someone above my agenda instead of hurrying to the next thing or checking off that item on my to do list? Do I stop in the busyness to put forth what really matters, people? How often do I actually listen, Not just hear, but listen. (There is a difference.)
I have to ask, why are we so afraid of sharing our fears and struggles with one another? I think it is because we may be believing the lies of the enemy. Lies that tell us we have to keep secrets and not reach out for help, or that other people won't love us if they knew the truth. I think that one of the greatest struggles in our culture that we face today is not being honest with others and ourselves. I heard a sermon last summer about the "dangers" of suburban life. The pastor shared that too many people are living in nice homes with manicured lawns, driving cars that are more of status symbols than for transportation, and hiding behind closed garage doors with drapes drawn. The pastor asked us to write down the names of our neighbors. Then, he asked us to write down three personal things we knew about each one. Then, he asked us if we knew if they were believers or not. I was ashamed to say that I could only name three neighbors and I did not know a single thing about them. Not just personal things, but anything. Are we missing that human connection? Are we missing the joy of sharing stories? Stories are cultural and get passed down from generation to generation. What are we going to pass down if we are not sharing our stories? Not only that, but are we living life surrounded by people but being totally alone? Like I said before, this is something I was confronted with over the summer and found myself revisiting on Thursday.
I know that the Lord blessed me with one mouth and two ears so that I will listen twice as much. So today the way I showed love to someone was by simply stopping to listen.
UPDATE!!!!
It is January 8th at 10:36pm and my blood in racing in my veins with excitement. I have had emails piling up as a result of not checking them regularly. So I decided to take the time to clean out my email inbox. I had so many emails that I had not opened yet. Including one from a friend that included a video. Now, I must admit that I am often "too busy" to watch videos and sometimes delete emails without taking the time to read them if I know they are forwards. But I decided that it sat in my inbox long enough so I should take the time to watch it. All the email said was, "Awesome Testimony! Please watch this video, it's short but amazing."
As I shared, I had been praying about friends of mine who are ill. I stated above how important it is to not only say a prayer, but to have faith that God will and can answer. (He might not answer the way we want him to, but he still answers.) Well, I watched the video and immediately felt like it was an answer to my prayer! Here is the video for you to enjoy! Click here.
God is still answering prayers and performing miracles! We need to celebrate and share these stories!!!!
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